Top 15 3D printed GoPro accessories

Jun 29, 2016 | By Tess

GoPro cameras were designed and built for capturing moments of extreme action, whether you are jumping from a plane, surfing a huge wave, skiing down the Alps, biking off road, or flying a drone. To make the already versatile camera even more adaptable to a number of different activities, a number of resourceful and innovative makers from around the world have developed customized and specialized GoPro accessories with what better technology than 3D printing.

To inspire your adventurous side, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best 3D printable GoPro accessories we could find. Go on, GoPro!

1. 3D printed GoPro Steadicam

Shakiness: the element that plagues most amateur video and filmmakers who are not interested in making films with a particularly hand-held aesthetic. To remedy this problem, and to turn their own shaky, unsteady GoPro footage into a smooth, professional looking shot, three Swiss friends decided to team up to design a 3D printed GoProSimple Steady adapter, which has been crowdfunded through Kickstarter. To print your very own GoPro stabilizer, a number of makers have also designed and uploaded 3D printed steadicam’s such as Gyrobot’s 3D printed Steady Cam for the GoPro Hero 3, and the shockingly simple 3D printed Ultra Compact GoPro Stabilizer, uploaded by maker HLMAX.

2. GoPro Cannon

Long gone are the days of shooting people out of cannons (we hope!) but now, thanks to the ingenuity of two young engineers, we can all experience the world as though being shot through a cannon with their specially designed and 3D printed GoPro cannon. The GoPro cannon is made from a combination of materials including PVC pipes, a sprinkler valve, an air blowgun and a 3D printed trigger guard. The GoPro camera itself, to be safely shot out of the 3D printed canon, was secured into a custom 3D printed projectile case, which as can be seen in the demonstration, works quite well. Files for the 3D printed components can be found on the canon’s creator’s website here.

3. GoLapse Trolley

This ingenious 3D printed design could be the solution for filmmakers everywhere who want to film time lapse video but don’t have the budget to buy high tech film equipment like rails and camera carts. The 3D printed GoLapse Trolley, invented by Joe Fabiani, is compatible with a variety of cameras including GoPros, smartphones, and DSLRs and makes moving your camera from point A to point B for time lapse videos a cinch.

4. Skateboard GoPro Mount

This 3D printed Deck Cam, designed by Formlabs employee Josh Foisey is the perfect GoPro accessory for skaters everywhere who want to record their techniques, or film the streets they are skating down. Using a Tough Resin, Foisey designed the 3D printed skateboard GoPro mount to be resilient to wear and tear and to withstand all the tricks, and mishaps that can occur while skateboarding. The 3D printed GoPro mount can be easily attached to the bottom of a skateboard using a few nuts, screws, and bolts, and can fit the GoPro Hero 3 or Hero 4. Files for the 3D printed skateboard mount can be downloaded for free from Formlabs’ website here.

5. GoPro Knuckles

For handsfree GoPro filming on the go, why not try to 3D print your own GoPro knuckles, designed by Thingiverse user suatbatu. Though they resemble brass knuckles, the 3D printed GoPro accessory is meant to to hold the small camera while you do such activities as running, skiing, skating, or skydiving, without obstructing your movement. Along with the 3D printed knuckles, you will also need this 3D printed knob to secure the GoPro camera to the 3D printed accessory.

6. GoPro Mount

This simple and easy-to-use 3D printed GoPro camera mount designed by maker WillsWorld could be the versatile GoPro accessory you’ve been looking for. By simply 3D printing the mount itself (ABS is recommended by its maker), and by fastening your GoPro camera onto it using GoPro’s existing hardware you only have to attach 1-inch wide straps to the mount to secure your portable camera onto virtually any surface. The 3D printed Go Anywhere GoPro mount was designed as an alternative to existing, adhesive back GoPro mounts, which are only good for one or two uses.

7. GoPro Remote Cradle for car

If you’ve been inspired by people’s crazy Dash Cam footage uploaded online, and have wanted to capture the crazy things you see while driving, try out this 3D printed GoPro remote cradle for your car that will allow you to easily (and cheaply) click your GoPro camera on to start filming. Thingiverse user RicHard1 3D printed his GoPro remote cradle using ABS plastic, full supports, 10% infill and 1 extra shell.

8. GoPro Frame

If you’ve been looking for the easiest, least cumbersome way to mount your GoPro camera, you may have come across GoPro’s own accessory, “The Frame”. If, however, you don’t have an extra $40 to shell out, or need a GoPro mount in a cinch, you can always try this popular 3D printed GoPro frame and Bacpac. The 3D printed GoPro accessory can fit the following GoPro models: Hero 3, 3+, and 4, and comes equipped with easy access openings for the camera’s microSD, charge, shutter, and WiFi/HiLight buttons.

9. GoPro Handle

Another simple, but infinitely useful accessory for your GoPro camera is of course a trusty handle. Again, why dish out more money for the tool when you can easily 3D print your own GoPro handle, and use it to easily carry your camera to capture amazing footage. Thingiverse boasts a large assortment of 3D printed handle designs, but some of our top choices include Captain Obvious’ popular design, which features a lanyard loop, kf6wrw’s 3D printed GoPro handle, printed in PLA, and maker thbruun’s handle without a slip-guard, printed at 340 microns, with 3 shells and a 10% hexagonal infill.

10. GoPro Spherical Mount

If you need to capture more than just the GoPro’s regular field of vision, a number of innovative makers have created mounts that can accommodate more than one GoPro camera, allowing you to expand your film’s field of vision, to panoramic, and even to 360 degrees. To make your own 3D printed spherical GoPro mount check out this 3D printed 360 GoPro rig, which can be easily 3D printed and assembled using only a few nuts and screws and holds up to 6 GoPro cameras (either Hero 3 or 4 models). For a slightly different design, check out dtLab’s 3D printed spherical GoPro mount, which can be printed to hold up to 6 GoPro cameras.

11. GoPro Yodix Car

For a fun way to move your GoPro camera around, you might also try this 3D printed “Yodix”, a fun looking wheeled mount for your GoPro camera. Designed by maker Datheus, the parts for the Yodix should be 3D printed with a layer height of 0.3mm and at a 90% infill rate. The 3D printed pieces can then be assembled with seven M5x25 screws. As seen in the demonstration video, the 3D printed GoPro Yodix car could provide a simple way to get smooth footage from a stable table-top, or even from a low, ground perspective.

12. Moon One RC Rover GoPro Mount

For those ambitious makers who have been looking to make their very own remote control, all-terrain GoPro mount, look no further than Misha Larkin’s impressive Moon One 3D printed rover. The Russian Thingiverse maker, known under the moniker repbaza, created the intricate and impressive motorized GoPro mount, which looks a whole lot like a moon rover vehicle, from a 294RPM brushed motor, a X-Car 45A brushed car ESC, wheels, a number of servos, headlights, a motor radiator, aluminum tubing, and a number of 3D printed parts. The 3D printed head which can be attached to the Moon One, was designed to hold a GoPro 3 model.

13. GoPro Quadcopter

To take your GoPro camera to the skies, capturing amazing aerial footage without having to fly yourself, why not mount your GoPro camera onto a 3D printed quadcopter, comfortably controlling where your camera goes from the ground. Of course, the number of 3D printed drones, UAVs, and quadcopters being developed are numerous, and while buying one is an option, you can always make your own. For inspiration, check out this 3D printed FPV quadcopter, The Crossfire, developed by maker Mike Bristol, this 3D printed Hovership MHQ2 which is equipped with a GoPro mount and boasts a foldable frame, or this 3D printed PL2Q Hugin, the second generation of the PL1Q Vampire 3D printed quadcopter.

14. GoPro Life3D Capsule

To take your GoPro above and beyond (and into the stratosphere) is this 3D printable Life3D Capsule. As stated on the product’s page, “The Life3D Capsule is a 3D printable capsule for carrying a camera to the stratosphere as a weather balloon payload”. The design, which can accommodate a GoPro as well as a GPS device, is also capable of being insulated and was designed to be water buoyant, meaning that if your GoPro’s adventure ends in water, you’ll be able to retrieve it without damage. You can find the files and 3D printing instructions for the 3D printed GoPro capsule here, though you’ll have to go out and buy the balloon.

15. GoPro Spare Parts

Last, but definitely not least are perhaps some of the most useful 3D printable GoPro accessories available: a series of 3D printed GoPro spare parts. Uploaded by Thingiverse maker MatteoMeraldi, the collection of 3D printable parts includes an adhesive flat mount (to be printed with supports), a quick release bucket, and knobs of three different lengths (18mm, 24mm, and 30mm). If you find yourself missing an essential GoPro part while you are 3D printing one of the above mentioned awesome accessories, chances are you’ll be able to 3D print it quicker than running out to the store.

Now, with all these inspiring 3D printed GoPro accessories you are sure to capture some amazing footage, whether you are in your own backyard or traveling the world.